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Social Media + Business

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Facebook has changed the way many people interact with the internet. In fact, many people who didn't interact with the internet have started to as a result of social media. I know that my own mother has started to use Facebook. Which is bizarre as she wouldn't know how to book a flight online or even how to search through Google but engages with friends online quite easily. This rise in popularity has given rise to a new acronym in the online marketing world - SMM (Social media Marketing). So why has social media so important to business?

Well where there is a market, there must be business. Facebook has over 750 million active users. In South Africa alone we have, 4 million users on Facebook. That is 60% of all internet users in South Africa actively using one medium to interact with each other... and your brand. This is no longer something that business can ignore. And now with the new generation of Smart Phones and tablet PCs, it is even easier to get online and interact than ever before.

The question really is, how do you get your brand online and in front of the public. A Facebook 'Page' is a good way to start. Some Facebook Advertising will get you some exposure, but understanding how your customer will interact with your brand and what content they will consume is the key. The idea is not so much to push your brand in to view but to blend it in to the activity stream. To encourage your customer to become a 'Fan' and to consume the data that you present on a daily basis. The interaction is key to growing this audience and 'pushing' them through to your website. The success of Facebook is in it's viral nature. If you can tap in to this, you will understand just how powerful a marketing tool this is.

The key lies in the insights. The analysis that Facebook provides. Unlike a website that relies on traffic visiting the website to gather key information, a post that is made by your Page can be viewed by a lot more people than just your fans. This Social reach as it's known is what is separating Facebook as a key platform for advertising your business.

Social media Marketing also plays a vital role in your search engine optimization strategy. As Search Engines are concerned with returning the most recent, relavant and popular content, Social media platforms provide plenty of food for the search engines to consume. A popular story will very quickly be Tweeted, Liked, Shared and so on. The more social interaction it gathers the more relevant it is. This is true of interaction with your brand or business. Getting a buzz going about your brand is important to ensuring you stay current and relevant. Of course, your website plays a vital role in all this. It's no use having all this buzz and pushing traffic to a website that is outdated...

Got a question about SMM or would like more info? Contact HYKANO today...

Article first appeared on www.hykano.com

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Simon is a South African Entrepreneur who has devoted his professional life to all things digital. Having worked across continents, he finally settled in South Africa where he launched HYKANO, a creative online development agency with a focus on lead generation through digital marketing.
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